DMK to rejig district units, eyes Chennai revival

CHENNAI: The DMK is preparing for a major organisational restructuring exercise after the ongoing Assembly session, with significant changes expected in the party's district-level setup, particularly in Chennai and its surrounding regions.

According to party sources, the restructuring aims to strengthen the organisation ahead of the forthcoming local body elections and to address weaknesses identified following the party's disappointing performance in the recent Assembly election.

As part of the proposed changes, senior Chennai-based leaders, including former Ministers PK Sekarbabu, Ma Subramanian and TM Anbarasan, are likely to be entrusted with larger organisational units comprising multiple Assembly constituencies.

"Chennai has 16 Assembly constituencies, and some organisational districts are relatively small compared to those in other parts of the State. Therefore, senior leaders in Chennai may be assigned responsibility for four Assembly constituencies each, while functionaries in other regions may continue to oversee organisational districts comprising two constituencies," a senior party source said.

At present, some Chennai district secretaries and senior leaders are already overseeing five to six Assembly constituencies. The party is understood to be working on a revised structure aimed at improving coordination, grassroots mobilisation and election management.

Sources indicated that the reorganisation would be implemented after the conclusion of the Assembly session.

The move follows the submission of reports by the party's review committees, which were constituted by DMK president MK Stalin to analyse the reasons behind the party's electoral setback.

The committees conducted a statewide assessment and submitted detailed reports on organisational weaknesses, constituency-level challenges, campaign shortcomings and voter perceptions that contributed to the party's poor performance.

The election results were particularly disappointing for the DMK in Chennai and neighbouring districts. In Chennai alone, the party suffered major losses, including Stalin's defeat in the Kolathur constituency, long considered a DMK stronghold.

Based on the review committees' findings, the party leadership is expected to undertake a comprehensive restructuring of district units and strengthen booth-and constituency-level mechanisms to prepare for future electoral battles.